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Study unique animal and plant species on this small ship voyage in one of the world’s most extraordinary settings — the Galápagos Islands. Encounter the fascinating wildlife that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Highlights

• Encounter the exotic animals that made the Galápagos famous including Blue-footed Boobies, Darwin finches, giant tortoises, and marine iguanas.
• Navigate inlets, swim with sea lions, and snorkel off remote beaches in search of tropical marine life.
• Visit the unique, mist-shrouded Scalesia forest in the highlands of Santa Cruz.

Program Notes

Actual cruise itinerary and islands visited are assigned by the Galapágos National Park and can be changed without prior notice. The park carefully monitors and controls the number of visitors to each site in order to minimize damage to local wildlife and habitats. Please refer to the detailed itinerary for the program date on the Road Scholar website to see which ports are visited. There are two different vessels offered for this program. The Galaven (lower price point) is an expedition-style vessel and holds 20 passengers—comfortable, well-priced but without extra frills. The Seaman Journey (higher price point) is recommended for participants who want an affordable, small group experience with an extra layer of comfort. It features larger cabins and holds only 16 passengers. The March 1, March 8 and March 22 dates are Road Scholar 40th Anniversay programs.Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.

Activity Notes

Quito, Ecuador has an elevation between 9,350 ft and 9,500 ft. Some participants find it helpful to fly into the city a day early in order to have extra time to rest and acclimate to the altitude. It also gives participants an extra day to catch-up to the program if there are unexpected travel delays—especially during busy travel seasons and times of year when bad weather is expected.

Wet and dry landings involve transferring in potentially rough waters from the yacht into a zodiac and stepping into either knee-deep water or onto rocky shores. Daily walks on sharp volcanic rocks and loose stones add another level of difficulty. Please view the Galápagos video "Galapagos Fitness Information - What to Expect" in preparation for your program activities: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U93d0TxTOQA&feature=youtu.be

Need Help?

The latest in light, portable, easy-to-use QUIETVOX listening devices are available on Road Scholar programs.* Whether you are outdoors, in a crowd or in a museum environment where speaking loudly is discouraged, a listening device makes it feel like our experts are speaking clearly and directly to you. Hear for yourself on a Road Scholar adventure!

*Please note that due to the nature of some programs, the remote location or government regulations, listening devices may not be available. If you’d like to know for sure if your program will offer listening devices, just call and ask an Advisor!